All seven healthy Sabres D skated this morning. They all left the ice together.
Mike Weber will play. Brayden McNabb will play.
thanks, sabres
Marc Andre Gragnani appears to be the odd man out.
Lindy Ruff told Howard Simon this morning that it matters not the age of a player. He's handed out playing time based on one criteria:
Does the player have the ability to help the team win games?
In the case of McNabb and Kassian, the answer is yes. There's no denying the fact that the B-81 Bomber is a difference maker. He has been a hunk of kryptonite to the vets in the Buffalo D corps. Myers is the only injury to the blue line and he is still a couple weeks away from returning to the starting lineup. Until then, Lindy can leverage his seven D by denying ice time for poor play. Play well, keep playing. Play badly, and sit down and watch. Sound to me that Ruff is content to keep McNabb up with the big club until Myers is cleared to return. If Sekera, Leopold, Ehrhoff, Weber, or Gragnani play erratically, then the old coach can use McNabb in place of that struggling D. Heaven forbid, more injuries occur to the D corps, McNabb is a pretty impressive alternative fuel option.
What coach in his right mind would sit this type of talent and nastiness?
In the case of Gragnani, he's made several mistakes of late that have cost the Sabres wins. Witness the Cluade Giroux gift-wrapped present (vomit bag, not included).
thanks, sabres.com
Compare and contrast. McNabb has earned the right to play. Gragnani has earned a night in his best Hugo Boss coture.
Lindy finally gets his leverage back due to positive health in the room.
Ruff spoke glowingly of McNabb to sabres.com:
"He's earned a spot right now the way he's played," Ruff said today. "We look at it that we've got to win games. When we get even more numbers back, maybe things change. There's a lot of factors that you guys have mentioned that you have to evaulate on. Some of it is dictated by other stuff."
The emergence of McNabb should not be viewed as a referendum on Gragnani. To the contrary. Grags is young, and he has a ton of upside potential. He's got to be better with the puck than he has been in recent weeks. He should not be immune to being a healthy scratch. Thats how prospects turn into bonafide NHLers. Gragnani is a super-talented kid, with sick skills. Its the opinion of this observer that he could use a game or two off the ice to sit with Teppo Numinen up top to watch the game from a coach's perspective. Ditto Sekera, who has been a yard sale at times in his own end this season. Ehrhoff could use a night off, too. No player is safe. Look at Tyler Myers. He was parked for a game in Montreal in November and he came back directly to the ice surface a lean, mean fightin' machine.
Paul Gaustad will be back at his pivot position tonight.
One of these days.... the Sabres will be 100% healthy....
I don't profess to know what thoughts are occupying Lindy Ruff's head, however, I'm convinced that the coach has a blue line shakeup in mind. Lindy has a big decision to make this morning. He has seven healthy D: Regehr, Ehrhoff, Leopold, McNabb, Sekera, Gragnani, and Weber.
Only six D can play tonight. Someone has to sit. That, or, Ruff can send McNasty back to Rochester.
In his first seven games of his NHL career, McNabb has made a case for never playing another game in the AHL again. The kid has been OUTSTANDING. He's big, tough, strong, smart, and has a serious amount of maturity for a kid his age.
Mike Weber was playing an excellent brand of defense, when he suffered a broken rib against New Jersey a couple of weeks ago. Weber's injury has finally healed, and he has been cleared to resume playing NHL hockey. Weber gives Ruff another option to help shore up his 5 on 5 and PK defense.
Weber is a stiff, tough, stay-at-home D man.
He was paired with Robyn Regehr at the time he was injured. The duo played well together.
Though he leads the Sabres with a +11 rating, Gragnani has been under the microscope for weeks. He's looked lost and disengaged at times this season. Lately, he's been soft on the body, to say nothing of being charitable with pucks, as evidenced by the atrocious "pick six" thathe threw to Philly's Claude Giroux for the OT GWG last week on home ice.
Last night, I opened up this debate to my Twitter followers @SabresBuzz.The fans have spoken, and they want McNasty to stay in Buffalo. They also want Weber back. To them, Gragnani has earned a seat in the press box.
Here are their takes:
@SabresBuzz We need to sit Gragnani for sure, aljordan89
@SabresBuzz absolutely. Sit 17. If Myers had to ride the pine, why is Grags made of Teflon? FatMike63
@SabresBuzz Yup....scratch Grags for sure...he's been a liability out there..., butsabrez
@SabresBuzz I don't think there is a doubt the kid has earned it McNasty is here to stay Grags #tradebait, jason_bluegold
@SabresBuzz I totally agree! Grags has been brutal lately, needs to sit for awhile, jkinsley31
@SabresBuzz Id like Weber to be back with Sekera. Weber was great with sekera. grags to be scratched, gr0uchetta
Its unanimous. My followers want to see McNabb stay intact on the Buffalo blueline. They also want to see Weber play. That makes Grags the odd-man out.
Join the Discussion:
»